retirement
10 great places to retire in the US
Danville, Ky.
Overview
This three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house built in 1950 has 1,456 square feet and is situated on a lot just more than four-tenths of an acre. The home is typical of what buyers can expect in Danville at the median price range, though for the same money, home shoppers can find three- and four-bedroom homes ranging from 1,300 square feet to 2,320 square feet.
Retirees buying in Danville typically are able to spend more -- in the low $200,000s, says Benjamin Guerrant, principal broker with Prudential Guerrant Real Estate.
Danville earned a spot among the "top 10 budget towns" with some of the lowest utility costs in the nation, Guerrant says. But the lifestyle here isn't just for the frugalati. Danville is home to Centre College, and its performing arts center brings in shows that rival what you'd see in Lexington, Louisville or Cincinnati, Guerrant says. "I've seen Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dolly Parton and 'The Wizard of Oz,'" he says. "It's a tremendous draw for talent."
Danville also ranked as a "top 10 Main Street town," thanks to a well-planned downtown with four lanes and parking on both sides of the street, Guerrant says. "That has been very crucial to the success of businesses downtown," he says. What's more Main Street than a band? The Great American Brass Band Festival is held in Danville every June.
Danville is the kind of place where people stay and often work in the family business, says Guerrant, who is the fourth generation in the family real estate business. The town's funeral home has provided income for at least three generations, and the town bakery is into the fifth generation, he says.